Two of my biggest culinary passions—mac and cheese and Mediterranean meals—simply made a scrumptious child within the type of Greek Mac and Cheese!
Made with a luscious feta cheese sauce, LOADED with Mediterranean greens, and topped with a ridiculously tasty pita chip topping, it’s a recent twist on everybody’s favourite tacky pasta casserole.
I can’t say with any shred of historic accuracy that Greek mac and cheese is how Aphrodite seduced each god on Olympus, however I believe it’s an affordable principle. (I might additionally enterprise a guess that this Greek Layer Dip was additionally in her arsenal.)
It transforms traditional substances in Greek salad, like bell peppers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese, into a wonderful pan of bubbly, tacky noodles that’s one among our favourite issues we’ve eaten in a very long time.
Completed with a crispy, crunchy pita chip and herb topping, this baked Greek mac and cheese is an Athens-approved get together in a pan.
(For a Roman-approved pan of tacky goodness, take a look at this Italian Mac and Cheese.)
5 Star Evaluation
“I made this for my boyfriend tonight. And it was scrumptious!”
— Shohreh —
The right way to Make Greek Mac and Cheese
That includes a creamy, but lighter, feta cheese sauce, tender peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, salty Kalamata olives, and a crunchy pita chip topping, this cozy Greek mac and cheese recipe will transport you straight to the Acropolis of Athens.
Tip!
In case you love all-things mac and cheese, then you definitely don’t wish to miss my recipe for Final Creamy Mac and Cheese, 4 Methods in The Nicely Plated Cookbook.
The Components
- Pasta. A complete wheat short-cut pasta, like elbow macaroni, penne, or rigatoni, is good for this baked Greek mac and cheese (and this Rooster Alfredo Bake). Their tubular form makes the right vessel for all that wealthy tacky feta sauce.
Tip!
Make sure to cook dinner the pasta solely till it’s just under al dente, since it’s going to cook dinner additional within the oven.
- Bell Peppers. Pack within the vitamin C (as much as 169% of the RDI in a single pepper) together with different key vitamins, reminiscent of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folate, and potassium, they’re colourful, nutritious, and make this mac an all-in-one dinner.
- Solar Dried Tomatoes. Infuse this Greek-style mac and cheese with a wealthy and sturdy tomato taste (I additionally love solar dried tomatoes on this Solar Dried Tomato Pasta).
- Kalamata Olives. Apart from being quintessentially Greek, Kalamata olives are additionally filled with heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and antioxidants.
- Spinach. Hundreds up each serving with a day by day dose of iron, calcium, folic acid, and nutritional vitamins A, C, and Okay. (It’s additionally how I sneak some further diet into this Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese.)
- Onion + Garlic. Fragrant necessities.
- White Cheddar + Feta. White cheddar affords sharpness and a gooey melty texture whereas feta brings it zippy tang and iconic Greek taste (if you happen to love feta, you’ll additionally take pleasure in this Feta Dip).
- Cottage Cheese. I saved this macaroni and cheese lean and imply with a secret ingredient: low-fat cottage cheese. Don’t freak out. The cottage cheese melts fantastically and offers the sauce richness and physique, with out the surplus of heavy cream (I exploit it in Low Carb Lasagna too).
- Nonfat Milk. No heavy cream or full-fat milk required (reserve it for this Grownup Mac and Cheese). This skinny Greek mac and cheese cuts fat and energy by choosing skim milk over its full-fat counterparts.
- All Objective Flour. Our thickening agent that makes our easy sauce ultra-rich and creamy.
- Crimson Wine Vinegar. Provides a bit acidity to stability out the sweetness of peppers and the chew of the onion and garlic.
- Parsley + Oregano. Provide colour and a few recent Mediterranean aptitude.
- Pita Chips. To maintain issues Greek, I swapped out conventional breadcrumbs (like on this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese) for crushed pita chips. They’re the right further crunchy and toasty topping to distinction the creamy-dreamy feta cheese sauce.
The Instructions
- Sauté the onions and peppers.
- Make the pita chip topping. Drain the spinach and rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk collectively the some milk and the flour.
- Make the feta cheese sauce.
- Cook dinner the pasta till not fairly tender. Drain, then mix with the sauce and veggies.
- Switch the combination right into a baking dish, high with crushed pita chips, and bake till bubbly and golden. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. ENJOY!
Storage Suggestions
- To Retailer. Greek mac and cheese, as soon as baked, could also be refrigerated for as much as 3 days.
- To Freeze. As soon as baked, Greek mac and cheese could also be frozen, well-wrapped, for as much as two months. Defrost in a single day within the fridge earlier than warming.
- To Reheat. Heat in a 350 diploma F oven, lined with foil, till heated by way of.
Meal Prep Tip
Greek mac and cheese will be ready by way of Step 6, then lined and refrigerated for as much as 2 days or frozen for as much as 3 months. To bake, thaw within the fridge, if obligatory, then proceed with the recipe as directed, baking for 35 to 45 minutes.
What to Serve with Greek Mac and Cheese
Advisable Instruments to Make this Recipe
- Saucepan. This on a regular basis saucepan is my favourite for making stovetop sauces, just like the feta cheese sauce for this Greek mac and cheese recipe.
- Skillet. A vital merchandise no kitchen ought to be with out.
- Casserole Dish. This assortment of colourful ceramic baking dishes is available in completely different sizes and an array of colours.
My Favourite Casserole Dish
Choose your favourite colour! Constructed from sturdy porcelain for dishwashers, ovens, fridges and microwaves, these set of various sizes is straightforward to wash too.
Sorry, Hercules, there’s a brand new demigod, and its identify is Greek mac and cheese.
Continuously Requested Questions
No. If you need to make this Greek mac and cheese gluten free, it might be an experiment since I’ve not tried it myself. I might begin by swapping the pasta in your favourite gluten free selection and substituting the all-purpose flour for cornstarch as a substitute thickening agent.
Certain! If there are different Greek flavors you take pleasure in, be happy to experiment and add them or swap them for different substances on this recipe to fit your preferences.
No. Whereas I really like Halloumi cheese (see this Grilled Halloumi Cheese) it isn’t perfect for this Greek mac and cheese recipe because it doesn’t crumble nicely or soften when heated. For a special cheese possibility, strive crumbled goat cheese.
- 2 tablespoons further virgin olive oil divided
- 1/2 massive purple onion thinly sliced
- 1 massive inexperienced bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 massive purple bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon purple wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup pita chips crushed
- 10 ounces frozen spinach thawed (1 package deal)
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
- 2 cups non-fat milk divided
- 1/4 cup all goal flour
- 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese shredded, about 6 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese about 4 ounces
- 1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives chopped
- 12 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni or penne
- 1/4 cup chopped recent parsley for serving
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In a big sauté pan, warmth 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Add the onions and cook dinner till starting to show translucent, 5-8 minutes. Add purple bell pepper, inexperienced bell pepper, and garlic and cook dinner till the peppers are tender, about 8 extra minutes. Add purple wine vinegar and cook dinner 2 extra minutes. Put aside.
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Deliver a big pot of water on to boil. Place rack in middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray. (A deep 9×9-inch pan will work as nicely.)
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Combine breadcrumbs, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out extra moisture. Place sundried tomatoes in a small bowl and canopy with boiling water (it will rehydrate the tomatoes). Put aside.
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In a big, heavy saucepan, warmth 1 3/4 cups milk over medium-high warmth till steaming (don’t boil). In a small bowl, whisk collectively the remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour till easy.
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Add to the new milk and cook dinner, whisking continually, till the sauce simmers and thickens; about 3 to five minutes. Take away from warmth and stir within the cheddar till melted. Stir in cottage cheese, salt, and pepper.
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Cook dinner pasta for six minutes, till not fairly tender. (It should proceed to cook dinner throughout baking.) Drain pasta, then add to cheese sauce; combine nicely. Drain the sundried tomatoes, then fold them into the combination, together with the sautéed onions and peppers, spinach, feta cheese, and olives. Spoon the combination into the ready baking dish, then high with crushed pita chips.
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Bake the casserole till bubbly and golden, 25 to half-hour, checking on the 15-minute mark to make sure that the pita chips aren’t toasting too rapidly (if they’re, cowl the pan with foil and proceed baking). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve heat.
- MAKE AHEAD: Greek mac and cheese will be ready by way of Step 6, then lined and refrigerated for as much as 2 days or frozen for as much as 3 months. To bake, thaw within the fridge, if obligatory, then proceed with the recipe as directed, baking for 35 to 45 minutes.
- TO STORE: Greek mac and cheese, as soon as baked, could also be refrigerated for as much as 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: As soon as baked, Greek mac and cheese could also be frozen, well-wrapped, for as much as two months. Defrost in a single day within the fridge earlier than warming.
- TO REHEAT: Heat in a 350 diploma F oven, lined with foil, till heated by way of.
Serving: 1(of 6)Energy: 598kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 34gFats: 23gSaturated Fats: 11gPolyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 9gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 56mgPotassium: 948mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 7130IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 574mgIron: 5mg
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